Knitting mechanism



April E. KINSELLA El AL I 2,036,874

, KNITTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 26, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3 j" fi g Q v //J e Z EDWARD KIA/65114 JON/V 5. p 4 BER E L April 7, 1936.. E. KINSELLA ET AL KNITTING MECHANI SM Filed 001;. 26, 1952' v 2 sheets-sheet 2 150M430 K/IVSELL/I JOHN G- PR ask/MRO AEZSJLL Walented 1hr. l, W3h

UNITED STATES KNITTING MECHANISM Edward Kinsella, John Gordon Pratt, and Bernard Kelsall, Spondon, near Derby, England, assignors to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application October 26, 1932, Serial No. 639,635

, In Great Britain November 3, 1931 1 Claim.

This invention relates to the production of textile fabrics, and more particularly to the production of knitted fabrics on warp knitting machines.

The object of the invention is to improve warp knitting machines with the object of greatly increasing their rate of working and smoothness of operation, and rendering them capable of knitting fabrics of better and more uniform quality.

It has been found that a muchimproved rate of operation can be effected by the provision of an improved form of machine frame which is of rigid construction, so that it does not depend upon secure anchoring in position to resist vibration. According to the invention a frame for warp knitting machines comprises a plurality of vertical frame members carrying the bearings chine, said vertical members being connected together by means of stiffening members firmly secured to the vertical members so as to form a rigid structure of box or girder-like form. Preferably said transverse members are each in one piece and attached to each frame member at at least two points with large facings, and the vertical frames of triangulated structure, rigid against distortion in their own plane. The transverse members themselves constitute girders of extreme rigidity.

Thus for example, the vertical frames of the machine may be connected together by means of plate members with stiffening ribs or flanges.

adapted to form a box construction for the base of the machine. The lower half of the machine is formed at the front and rear of stiffening plates of rigid character extending between pairs of vertical frames. The top edges of said stiffenihg plates may also be connected by horizontal stiffening plates lying below the cam mechanism. In this manner, the base of the machine consists of a box construction with an open bottom, the cross members of the vertical frames serving to tie the edges of the open bottom together in a rigid manner.

The stiffening plates are conveniently of cast form. For the sake of lightness, parts of the plates may be cut away where possible, more particularly Where diagonal ribs are employed. Thus, by providing double flanges running diagonally across the members and by omitting the intermediate triangular portions of the web, a stiffening plate of X form may be produced for the purpose, and the cutting away of the web in this manner may be carried even to such an extent as to form a stidening plate of open it character, though preferably part of the web. flanged if necessary, should be left along one side of the member, 1. e. the upper side.

A similar stiffening member may be employed to connect the upper parts of the vertical frames as well as the bases, though it is preferred tt such a stiffening member should take up as-little high speeds. for the cam and rocker armshafts of the ma- The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that this description is given by way of example only and is in no respect limitative.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are front, side and rear elevations of part of a knitting machine frame constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a detail of the frame shown in Figures 1 to 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation in part section of another form of warp knitting machine frame according to the invention;

Figure 6 is a part front view of Figure 5 with the front plates removed to show the rear plates; and

Figure '7 is a detail of the frame construction shown in Figures 5 and 6. v

Referring to Figures 1 to i, the machine frame shown comprises a series of vertical frame members ll) of which two are shown in Figure l and three in Figure 3, the vertical frames it being connected together over their lower halves by means of girder sections, indicated at i2 at the front of the machine and at l3 'at the rear of the machine shown in Figures 1 and 3 respectively.

The girder sections i2, Iii are of it form and identical in shape though differently positioned in front and rear of the machine, one being vertical and the other somewhat inclined. They are cast in one piece, and comprise cross members I4 having flanges l5 and meeting at a boss 16 in the center which is heavily reinforced by ribs and flanges Ill, and a horizontal member 18 across the top.

The girder sections are bolted to the machine frame at rectangular projecting bosses 20 shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, the bosses 20 being bored at 2| for the reception of the connecting bolts. The ends of the sections and the bosses are machined so as to fit accurately together and form large facings.

The sections i2, i3 not only firmly space the frames Ill but also by the triangulated structure they form with the frames prevent endwise dis tortion of the frame under the action of the forces involved in driving the knitting mechanism. The whole base of the frame is thus adequately stiffened against deflection of vibration.

The upper parts 25 of the frames in are connected by means of girder sections 26 bolted on the projecting bosses 21 on the upper part of the frame ii). The section 25 is cast in one piece and is of the shape as shown in Figure 4 comprising a curved web 28 perforated with vertical holes at 29 and provided with stiffening flanges 30. These members stiffen the upper portions of the frame i0 and resist endwise distortion of the frame above the part stiffened by the girders l2, i3.

The form of the frames i0 is clearly shown in Figure 2, wherein it will be seen that they comprise webs 35 flanged all round as at 36 and forming a triangulated structure which resists distortion of the frames in their own plane, so that in conjunction with the stiffening afforded by the transverse sections I2, l3 and 26 the machine as a whole is extremely rigid and able to withstand distortion and vibration. The frames in carry bearings 31, 38, 39, 40 and ll for the guide rocker brackets, the needle rocker arms, the main cam shaft, the sinker rocker arms and the presser rocker arms respectively (see U. S. Patents Nos. 1,981,513 and 1,981,512).

On the upper part of the frame, secured to facings 45, 46 is a bracket 41 shown in dotted lines, carrying the warp beams 48 and bosses 49, 50, to which are pivoted tension bars over which the threads pass on their way to be knitted. (See U. S. Patent No. 2,014,530.) The frames ID are of considerable width at the part H0, so that the cantilever formed by the upper part of each frame does not deflect under the dead load of the warp beams, thread guides etc., and any unbalanced forces arising from the operation of the machine.

The bracket 53 shown in dotted lines carries the take-up device on which the fabric is collected after knitting. The caps for the bearings 31 to H are shown in dotted lines.

Each of the frames I0 is reinforced in front by means of a vertical member 55 whose section is clearly shown at 56, the vertical member 55 being removable, as well as the front girder section I2, in order that the bearings 41 may be reached for assembly or removal of the presser bar shaft carried thereby, the shaft running interiorly of the assembled frame.

The frame shown in Figure 2 is an end frame, for which reason the bosses 20, 21 extend on the far side of the frame only, and are therefore shown in dotted lines. On the intermediate frame these bosses extend on both sides of the frame shown in Figures 1 and 3. The end frame "I in Figure 2 is provided with a boss 58 bored for the cam shaft of the warp feeding means described in U. S. Patent No. 2,014,530. The frames i0 though relatively thin, form by their flanged construction in conjunction with the stiffening afrlrded by the members i2, i3, 28 and 55 a substantially vibrationless support for the knitting mechanism and operating gear.

In Figures to '7, a frame construction of slightly different kind is shown comprising vertical frames 60, each of which is connected to the adjacent frame by means of three plate-like members El, 62, 63. These plates are bolted by means of bolts 64 to square projecting bosses 65 on the frames 60. The plates 63 shown in Figure 5 and also the plates H at the rear of the machine are provided with end flanges 81, and with ribs 68 extending diagonally across the plates and meeting at a circular boss 69 at the center. The plates 6i and 63 are turned over at their upper edges H and provided with flanges 12 engaging with the top plate 62 shown in Figure 7 on a slightly larger scale. The flanges and stiffening ribs of the plates BI, 63 give the plates a stiff, deflection-resisting girder-like structure.

The top plate shown in Figure '7 consists of a plate 14, diagonal ribs and flanges I6 at the edges, one of which is shown in section as at 11. This girder-like structure stiffens the frame against sideways distortion. The plates 62 are of different length from the plates SI, 63, so that their ends do not coincide at the frame 60 but extend beyond the frames, thus increasing their strengthening effect on the machine structure by breaking the joints occurring at the frames 60. The point of junction of two top plates is shown at 18 in dotted lines in Figure 6.

It will be seen that the plates 6!, 62, 63 form a box-like structure for the base of the machine, the structure being open at the bottom. The lower edges of the box-like structure are tied together by cross members 80 on the lower part of the vertical frame 60. The vertical frame 60 comprises a web 8| shown in dotted lines in Figure 6 and flanges 82 extending all round. The frames are provided with bearings as at 83 for the working parts of the machine.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:--

A warp knitting machine frame comprising vertical frame members extending from front to rear of the machine frame and transverse connecting members of deep X form, each extending vertically over the lower part of said vertical frame members so as to resist lateral rocking of said vertical frames, bearings on said vertical frame members adapted to carry shafts of the knitting mechanism, removable stiffening elements in said vertical frames adapted to permit a shaft to be mounted interiorly of the vertical frames, upwardly extending portions of said vertical members, and transverse members of triangulated panel form connecting said upwardly extending portions together, the whole making a rigid structure of vibration-resistant character.

EDWARD KINSELLA. JOHN GORDON PRATT. BERNARD KELSALL. 

